Grace Alekhine

Who was Grace Alekhine?

Grace Norton Eisler Peeke Freeman Alekhine was an American-British-French female artist, chess master and the fourth and last wife of World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine.

She was born in Beverly, New Jersey. Her parents were Emile Bernard Wishaar and Marie Ida Smith.

The family moved to San Jose, California and then to Seattle, Washington.

She received training at the New York School of Art under William Chase, and began her career in painting there.

She married Whitney Irving Eisler in Seattle, Washington on 13 September 1897.; the next year her son was born there. He was known as Carroll Earl Beauchamp Peeke throughout his life. She married Oscar Graham Peeke in Seattle, Washington on 5 Mar 1902.

Sometime early in the 20th century, she moved to Oakland, California: there, again as Grace Wishaar, she established a career as a visual artist. Interestingly, her work became known on both a large and small scale: first as a miniature portraitist and then as a theatrical scenery painter,.